Outdoors coin depository



Dec. 1, D SHAIN OUTDOORS COIN DEPOSITORY Filed May 2, 1952 David L. .Sh ain IN V EN TOR.

Patented 53 cc. 3, 1953 OUTDOORS COIN DEPOSITORY David L. Shain, Harrisburg, Ill.

Application May 2, 1952, Serial N 0. 285,631

2 Claims. (Cl. 232-43.1)

The present invention relates to ways and means suitably and satisfactorily designed to expedite the collection of coins for payment of services wherein the collectors are duly appointed representatives of newspaper ofiices, dairies, icernen, grocerymen, and so on.

It is a great convenience to residential patrons and customers as well as to newspaper carriers, mill: delivery men, and others to systematize delivering articles, and at the same time picking up the pay therefor. Assuming, for example, that the newspaper delivery boy calls and pre sents his bill for payment for services rendered, the housewife may not have the correct change or may be absent from home at the time. Gr, it may turn out that the boy, in attempting to make his collection, may have to return time and again because of this unfortunate inability to time his calls with home and other requirements of his customers. All of this is, of course, well known and mill: delivery men and others have the same difiiculties. While it is true that others have ofiered ways and means to alleviate the mutual diiidculties of those involved, the fact that out-of-doors coin pickup depositories have not come into widespread adoption and use indioates that a depository of proper construction has not as yet made the grade. It is therefore the object of the instant invention to provide a practical, sae and economical device in which manufacturers, users and others will find their respective manufacturing requirements and general needs fully met and properly presented.

With view toward meeting the expected requirements of the trade and bettering the accomplishments of others engaged in the same line of endeavor, the instant matter has to do with an out-doors depository which is characterized primarily by a receiver which has window means so that the collector may, at a glance, determine whether the coins to be picked up are contained in the receiver.

Another improvement has to do with a window-equipped coin receiver and pickup device which is also provided with conveniently usable indicators or which may be brought into use and which may be seen from the sidewalk or street to further aid in taking care of the mutual requirements of the parties involved.

More specifically, the invention appertains to a suitably shaped, window-ecuipped cas ng which provides a receiving chamber and. which conveniently arranged coin intake slots and has at least one coin discharge slot through simple slotted barrel is rotatably mounted in the receiver at a convenient point and which serves to accommodate the insertable key from either side, making it possible for the duly authorized coin collector to insert the key from either the right or left side of the depository.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in section and elevation showing the outdoors type depository and the manner in which it is constructed and mounted for use.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the same,

' observing it in a direction from right to left.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the horizontal line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the aforementioned key-accommodating barrel.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the key which is used by the newspaper carrier or boy or other authorized representative.

Briefly, the over-all construction may be conveniently designated, and properly so, as an out-of-doors type depository in which the cus- 'tomer or other residential patron places a prescribed amount of money, usually in coins. In addition, however, the device is a sort of signal in that it includes selectively usable indicators 'or signs.

The principal part which may be called the casing or depository is denoted by the numeral 8. It may be of any hollow, box-like form and of any appropriate configuration. It is here shown as approximately semi-c rcular in form and it is characterized by a vertical back wall ll curvate front wall 12, and spaced parallel flat side wall I i-44. The upper half portion of the front wall 12 is solid and the lower half portion is provided with a channelhaped frame H5 for a glass or equivalent transparent panel 18 which latter provides the aforementioned '1 window. The window permits convenient inspection of the chamber or receiving space to be made for the convenience of all concerned. The curvate window forms a sort of chute for the coins 22 which, as shown in Figure 1, are adapted to be discharged or dispensed by Way of the discharge slot 2d at the bottom of the depository. Suitable coin drop-in slots 26 are provided in the sides. Additional shorter slots 28 are also provided and these radiate from circular openings which are provided in the walls l4 and serve as bearings for the flanged end portion 39 of the rotary or turnable barrel 32. The flanged ends extend through the bearing holes and the barrel has diametrically opposite, selectively usable slots and 33 at opposite ends. These slots are adapted to register with the slot 28. They are also adapted to accommodate the actuating 58 on the shank portion is of the crank-shaped key 2. In practice, the newspaper car r boy, in delivery man, or other anthorize-:1 representative and collector will be proof course, with a key of the type shown. Ihis is the sort of key which is susceptible of being placed in through the slots 28 in the right or left sides of the depository, as is obvious. To do this, it is necessary to line up one of the slots or with the selected slot This allows the member 38 to be passed through the slot 23, after which the key new fitting rotated to place the finger in the dotted'line position shown in Figure 1. When in this position, finger exerts pressure against a flat closure-forming leaf spring The latter is ri etecl on the interior of the depositor as at 43. at the top. It reaches down and normally bridges and close off the discharge opening 2t. O viousl however, when the key is turned in the pr r manner, pressure of the finger 3S exerted ag inst the spring serves to flex and force i the 52.72". l-O the line position shown in Figure hereupon the discharge opening 24 is ope -ed up and. the coins drop out into the hand the collector.

To enlarge upon the over-all efficiency of the is to have certain optionally .tozs or signs incorporated. To this ortions of the aforementioned back above and below the depository. a complemental strip or plate 43 is parallels the plate IS in spaced fo dicators. Therefore such indiiently denoted in Figure 2 by th i l, and Each indicator is a simple fiat plate of metal a stop iii along one edge. The overlap and they are secured by the aforcmcouoned fastenings ii and 52, as is obriots. These flap-like indicatorscan be swung into folded, out-of-theavay positions, as shown i the arroa-s in Figure 2. It follows that if the ;lacel in the depository are to be picked the newspaper boy, the signalling r may be swung out to notify the be Or if milk is to be delivered or coins to e picked. up for 1 ast service, then the milk indicator E3 is brought into play.

It will be understood that the important thing is to provide a suitable and handy depository with slots to feed the coins into the receiver or chamber and slot means to enable the coins to be discharged. It is desirable, too, that the coins should gravitate easily, and therefore the use of in the barrel can be a the window as a sort of chute coacting with the slot 24 is important. The simple use of a fiat spring to serve as a key-actuated closure or cover for the discharge opening is important. The keyoperating barrel for right and left handed use is significant, and the use of the projectable and retractable indicators with suitable printed indicia contribute to the over-all merit of the devlce.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and arrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A coin depository for out-of-doors use and to aid authorized collectors in conveniently collecting one or more coins in payment for services rendered comprising a casing adapted to be fixedly mounted on a fixed support, said casing having vertical back, front, and side walls joined with each other in casing-forming relationship, said side walls having coin intake slots, said front wall being arcuate, embodying a correspondingly arcuate window and constituting the bottom portion of a coin delivery chute and having a coin discharge slot at its lower end in close proximity to said back wall, a leaf spring wholly confined in said casing and situated between the side walls and having its upper end anchored on said back wall and its opposite lower end free and biased away from said back wall, terminating in close proximity to one longitudinal side of the discharge slot and cooperating with adjacent portions of the side walls in normally blocking and thus closing the discharge slot, and a key-accommodating barrel in said casing mounted for rotation between said side walls, the intermediate portion of said spring being situated between said barrel and back wall, one end of said barrel being open, opening through the adjacent side wall and being thus accessible for inserting and removing a barrel turning key, said adjacent side wall having opening means communicating with the cooperating open end of said barrel, said barrel having at least one lengthwise slot communicating with the adjacent open end of said barrel and which may be turned to a position, by turning said barrel, to be bridged by a cooperating intermediate portion of said spring, whereby to permit a key having a laterally projecting finger to be inserted through the opening means and the adjacent open end of the barrel in a manner to allow the finger to project through the slot in the barrel and into engagement with the intermediate portion of said spring so that when the key and barrel are simultaneously rotated, flexing pressure will be exerted against the spring in a manner to move said free end of the spring toward the back wall and to swing said free end to a position uncovering said discharge slot.

2. A coin depository for out-of-doors use and to aid authorized collectors in conveniently collecting one or more coins in payment for services rendered comprising a casing adapted to be fixedly mounted on a relatively stationary support, said casing embodying a flat vertical back wall, spaced parallel vertical side walls at right angles to said back wall, and an arcute front wall opposed to said back wall and joined with said back wall and side walls, said front wall having a coin discharge slot adjacent the lower end of said front wall and in close proximity to the lower end portion of said back wall, the arcuate lower portion of said front wall cooperating with the adjacent portion of said side walls in defining the coin gravitating chute leading to said coin discharge slot, a leaf spring of a width approximately equal to the space between said side walls, said leaf spring being fully confined within the space of said casing, the upper end of said spring being fixed to said upper end portion of said back wall, the lower end of said spring being free and sprung away from the corresponding lower end portion of said rear wall and terminating adjacent the lower end portion of said front wall and being positioned on one longitudinal side of the discharge slot remote from the back wall and thus blocking and closing said coin discharge slot, said side walls having coin intake slots, said side walls being further provided with aligned key-hole shaped openings therein, a horizontally disposed barrel arranged in the space of said casing and bridging said space in spaced parallelism in respect to the intermediate portion of the back wall and having flanged end portions journaled for rotation in the respective key-hole shaped openings, said barrel being open at one end to receive a key and having at least one endwise key insertion slot opening through said flanged open end and communicable with one of said key-hole shaped openings, said spring being 6 located between the barrel and back wall, the intermediate portion thereof being adapted to bridge the slot in said barrel when the slot is turned to a position for cooperation with said spring, whereby to permit a key with a laterally projecting finger to be inserted through the selected key-hole shaped opening and to be inserted into the barrel by way of the open end of the barrel and bore of the barrel and to thus allow the finger on the key to be projected through the slot in the barrel and to be brought into engagement with said spring so that when they key and barrel are simultaneously rotated, flexing pressure will be exerted against the spring by way of the finger in a manner to move the free end of the spring toward the back wall, to swing said free end to a position wherein the discharge slot is no longer blocked and is therefore uncovered to permit coins to be discharged therethrough without interference from said free end.

DAVID L. SHAIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 226,158 Cary Apr. 6, 1880 461,176 Van Zandt Oct. 13, 1891 841,756 Woolums Jan. 22, 190.

2,288,222 Bockstein June 30, 1942 2,303,598 Alley Dec. 1, 1942 

